


Love for a Mercenary

by DraconicMusic



Category: Rockman X | Mega Man X
Genre: Falling In Love, Fluff, Gay Robots, Love Confessions, M/M, OC/Canon Pairings, Original Character(s), Post-X7, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Same-sex pairings, Same-sex relationships, panromantic Ratchet, ratchet is a blushy dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23252221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraconicMusic/pseuds/DraconicMusic
Summary: Ratchet is a highly dedicated member of the Maverick Hunters, and is well-known for his engineering skills. He was polite and kind almost to everyone in the base, and was hard at work at his job.One day, however, Ratchet meets someone whom he begins to develop feelings for.That person in particular, is a former mercenary named Axl.
Relationships: Axl (Rockman)/Original Character(s), Axl/Ratchet (Rockman)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god, glad I finally got this done. Anyway, this is a fanfiction of my Mega Man X OC Ratchet that I recently started working on. This fic focuses on his romantic feelings he has for Axl and his thoughts on said feelings he's experiencing (Ratchet is panromantic in my headcanon). 
> 
> This fic has multiple chapters, and is longer than some of my other works. Hope you like it.

Ratchet is a very dedicated member of the Maverick Hunters. He would always do his best to help out others, whether it’d be making new weapons or parts. As a result, he became rather well-known in the organization.

Though, that doesn’t mean Ratchet was used to compliments.

Ratchet tended to get easily flustered or flattered, whether it would be someone complimenting or teasing him. Some of his friends even called him cute because of this, much to the engineer’s embarrassment. Ratchet just wasn’t used to being called something like that. Despite that, Ratchet continued to work hard, and got along with almost everyone in the base.

But one day, however, Ratchet met someone whom he began to develop feelings for.

And that person in particular, was a young gunslinger Reploid named Axl.

————————

Ratchet was working on some parts for a machine he was making. He stopped a few times briefly to check a blueprint, before resuming his work. He had built many machines before ever since he first joined the Hunters, so this wasn’t new for Ratchet. If anything, he was sure to finish in at least a couple days or so.

Ratchet was using a welding torch to fuse some metal together before he heard a voice from the other side of the door the opposite wall away from him.

“Hey, anyone in there?”

Ratchet pulled up his welding mask and put down the torch upon hearing the voice, turning his head toward the door. “Oh, come in!” He said, trying to sound welcoming.

A few seconds later, the metal door opened, revealing Axl.

Ratchet immediately recognized the young gunslinger upon seeing him. He occasionally saw Axl walking in the halls of the base when he was first brought in by Zero, but he never properly met him until now.

“Oh, hello there, sir!” Ratchet greeted, a kind smile on his face. “I assume you’re the person Zero brought in to the base a few months ago?”

“Yep, I’m also a Maverick Hunter, now!” Axl replied in his usual upbeat tone.

“I’ve heard. Are you liking it so far?” Ratchet asked, still smiling.

Axl’s face beamed with happiness. “Are you kidding me? Being a Hunter is great! I’ve actually been hunting Mavericks before I came here, but now that I’m an official hunter, fighting Mavericks is even better than before!”

Ratchet made a small, amused laugh. “Well, I’m glad that you’re enjoying being a Maverick Hunter!” He cleared his throat a bit before continuing. “I’m Ratchet. I’m an engineer for the Maverick Hunters. And who might you be?”

“I’m Axl. I came here because I need something fixed.” Axl replied.

“I expected that. What do you need me to fix?” Ratchet asked.

Axl’s smile faltered. “I was out on a mission hunting some Mavericks earlier, but one of them got my G-Launcher damaged.” He reached behind him for his G-Launcher and held it out to Ratchet. “Heat Drago told me to see you since you’re supposed to be good at repairing things.”

Axl handed over the large hand cannon to Ratchet, who began examining it. The weapon looked definitely broken; several parts were cracked, mutilated or missing. To say the least, it was utterly busted. “I see. As a matter of fact, I am good at repairing weapons besides making them!” Ratchet said, sounding as if he had an idea. “Though, I need to finish this machine first.” He gestured at the machine he was building.

Axl’s smile returned. “That’s alright, I already got my pistols.” The young Hunter replied, showing off one of his pistols for emphasis.

The orange engineer laughed. Seeing the young gunslinger act like that seemed…cute. “Well, it’s always good to have spare weapons on hand. Anyway, I’ve gotta finish the machine, and then I'll fix your hand cannon.”

“You can do what you need to do. I’ve gotta do a report, anyway. Though I’d rather go out to hunt Mavericks instead.” Axl pouted at the last part.

Ratchet chuckled at Axl’s statement regarding his report. “I’m sure you can go and hunt more Mavericks once your done with your report.” Axl’s smile seemed to return from his statement. He then turned to walk back to the table he was sitting at earlier, but paused and turned back at Axl. “Oh, and thanks for coming! You can stop by at my place anytime.”

“Really? Well, thanks!” Axl replied, beginning to walk out the door. “Heck, maybe you could make more weapons for me, like an even better hand cannon!”

Ratchet let out a small breath of laughter. “Well, I can happily do so, if I have the materials for it.”

“Well, I’ve gotta do my report now. See ya later!” Axl said, right before he was about to leave the room and walk outside the door. “Hope to see you again, too, Axl!” Ratchet replied, smiling warmly. As soon as he finished speaking, Axl left the room and the door closed behind him. Ratchet soon resumed working on the machine.

As Ratchet was working on the hand cannon, he paused as his chest fluttered, and he felt strange sensation in his body. Not only that, but his cheeks also felt oddly warm. Was he…blushing?

Ratchet was confused at what he was feeling, but he soon brushed it off, and resumed working. Though as he did, he would always feel his chest fluttering and his cheeks get warm every now and then…


	2. That feeling again...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week had passed since Ratchet had first met Axl. But every time he saw or thought about him, or whenever the gunslinger's name was mentioned, the engineer would have a strange "feeling", along with his cheeks becoming oddly warm. Although it didn't distract him from work that much, the feeling would always return.
> 
> While having a conversation with Heat Drago, Ratchet finds himself having the same feeling again.

Ratchet had been hard at work since the previous week. He recently finished repairing Axl’s G-Launcher, and the kid, of course, was happy to have his weapon back as good as new, and thanked the engineer, and told him how he was one of the best at repairing things in the base. Although Ratchet wasn’t used to receiving compliments, he sheepishly replied with a “Thanks”.

Though, Ratchet couldn’t help but again feel that same sensation he felt on the day he resumed work on the machine after he met Axl for the first time. And he continued to have that feeling for the rest of the week.

———————

Later that night, Ratchet was relaxing in the main room of the base, where several Reploids were gathered, some conversing with one another while others were carrying materials back and forth. He took a small sip from an E-Tank he was holding, leaning against a wall casually, occasionally greeting other Reploids who passed by him.

Ratchet was about to take another sip from his E-Tank when Heat Drago sat by him.

“Hey, Ratchet!” Heat Drago greeted heartily. “How ya doin’?”

“Oh, hey there, Drago!” Ratchet replied, turning his head to face the taller dragon Reploid next to him. “What brings you here?”

“Just hangin’ out. I just came back from a mission with Axl.” Heat Drago crossed his arms in a casual manner. “And speaking of Axl, I heard you were gettin’ along with the kid. He told me about you ‘bout a week ago.”

“Oh, yeah, I met Axl recently.” Ratchet replied, pausing briefly to take another sip from his E-Tank. “He told me how I was good at fixing many things. He’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met!”

Heat Drago let out a laugh. “Well, Axl is a very good kid with a big heart.”

Ratchet’s smile grew wider in agreement. Though, his smile faltered slightly as he began to feel the same sensation from days before, and he turned his head away from Heat Drago to look forward, as if thinking about something.

Heat Drago noticed Ratchet’s expression. “Hey, what’s wrong, Ratchet? Something on yer mind?”

Ratchet seemed to break out of his small trance upon hearing Drago’s voice, and he turned to face him. “Huh? Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just… I get this strange feeling sometimes. I don’t know why, but it seems to happen whenever I think about Axl.” 

Heat Drago looked on in curiosity. “Hmm. Is that why you looked unfocused back there?”

“Yeah,” Ratchet replied. “but I don’t think it’s anything serious. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

“Well, as long as you’re sure it isn’t somethin’ serious, I’m sure it’ll go away soon.” Heat Drago assured Ratchet. “Anyway, I’ve got some paperwork to do. I’m probably gonna be done by the time everyone is asleep, but I’ll definitely see ya again tomorrow. See ya until then, Ratchet!” He waved Ratchet goodbye as he began to leave the room.

Ratchet waved back, the E-Tank still in his hand which he was using to wave. “That’s totally fine by me, and see you tomorrow, too!”

———————

After Heat Drago left, Ratchet reflected on what the dragon Reploid had said to him during their conversation earlier. He hoped Drago was right; that the strange feeling he had would go away. Although the feeling didn’t distract Ratchet from work that much at all, as he would always brush it off, it would always return, and it only happened whenever Axl was mentioned or Ratchet thought about him, or when he saw him in the base.

Despite Ratchet’s slight uncertainty, he hoped that the strange feeling would fade. It would go away, eventually.

But it didn’t.


	3. An orange dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Ratchet's conversation with Heat Drago regarding his strange "feeling", the engineer finds himself having a dream about the young gunslinger while he is asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long chapter, probably the longest in this story. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy.

A few hours had passed since Ratchet’s conversation with Heat Drago. By now, it was late, and most Reploids were in there dorms to sleep in their capsules, aside from a few night owls. Ratchet was just making some additional touches to the machine he was working on earlier, intending to continue building it the next morning.

After fusing some parts of the machine together with a welding torch, Ratchet took off his welding mask and wiped his forehead with an arm, before putting down the torch. He looked at a digital clock he had installed on one of the walls in his dorm; the clock’s time indicated it was definitely late. Upon realizing he’d been working for so long, Ratchet got up and stretched, somewhat relieved to release some of the tension he built up in his muscles while he was working.

Ratchet then walked over to his capsule, and collapsed into it almost immediately. He realized he was more tired than he thought. It didn’t take long for exhaustion to creep up on Ratchet, and the engineer soon fell into a deep slumber.

———————

It felt like no time has passed until Ratchet began to awaken from his deep sleep. But as he slowly opened his eyes, he realized he wasn’t in his dorm. Instead, he was in what seemed to be a grassy meadow.

Ratchet slowly sat up, looking around his current environment, confused but amazed as to where he was. The meadow was rather peaceful; trees and flowers were scattered in various areas, making the land look plentiful. Not only that, the sun was also setting, creating a beautiful blend of green, yellow and orange. As Ratchet was taking in the view, some butterflies fluttered by him, causing him to turn his attention to them in curiosity. One even landed on his finger, surprising but amusing the engineer. Ratchet slowly brought his finger where the butterfly was perched up to his face, looking curiously at it. He identified it to be a Monarch butterfly, judging from its orange and black markings on its wings. It flew away a few moments later.

Ratchet wondered how he woke up in such a peaceful place. Did someone take him here while he was sleeping? No, that couldn’t be possible. There had to be a reason why he was here.

Or, was this a dream…?

As Ratchet was trying to figure out how he ended here, he heard footsteps coming from somewhere not far from him.

Ratchet made a small “Huh?” as he looked towards the source of the footsteps, and he saw a familiar figure walk towards him.

As the figure walked closer to the point where they were visible, Ratchet immediately recognized the figure to be Axl.

Ratchet began to feel the strange sensation again, and his cheeks became warm, his mouth slightly open in surprise. Axl’s smile turned into a grin upon seeing the engineer.

“Hey, Ratchet. Long time no see, huh?” Axl greeted Ratchet casually, but still in his usual upbeat tone.

For some reason, Ratchet found himself unable to speak. A few moments passed until he was able to. “Oh, uh, h-hi, Axl.” Ratchet replied, in an oddly nervous manner. Was he…stammering? He couldn’t understand why. Ratchet had spoken to Axl just fine when he first met him, so why was he having trouble talking to him now?

Ratchet’s thoughts were interrupted when he saw Axl make his way to a nearby tree on a small hill, and sat down against it, both hands behind his head. Axl seemed to notice Ratchet sitting in the same spot he was at earlier.

“Hey, Ratchet, don’t you wanna come sit here, too? The view’s nice up here!” Axl suggested, speaking loudly enough for Ratchet to hear him.

Ratchet hesitated and thought about it for a moment, before making his way up the hill. When he made it to the top, he sat next to the young gunslinger under the tree.

“View’s pretty relaxing up here, isn’t it?” Axl asked Ratchet, his smile warm.

Ratchet didn’t respond for a few seconds. “Yeah, I guess it does.” He replied as casually as he could, smiling, though there was a hint of nervousness in his voice.

As the duo looked towards the setting sun, Ratchet found himself looking at Axl, and he couldn’t take his eyes off of him. He thought about how _adorable_ he looked. Not just adorable in a cute way, but also adorable in an _attractive_ way.

Wait, what was he _thinking?_

Ratchet’s eyes widened slightly at the thought and turned away, hoping that Axl wouldn’t notice. As much as he tried to push that thought to the back of his mind, Ratchet couldn’t deny how attractive he looked. He didn’t know why, but part of him wanted to be closer to Axl. Not in a figurative way, but in a physical sense.

Ratchet moved a little closer to Axl. The young gunslinger adjusted his position slightly, surprising Ratchet slightly, but didn’t notice him, much to the engineer’s relief.

Ratchet couldn’t help but look at Axl’s chest. He imagined himself laying his head on it, listening to the gunslinger’s thumping heart as he peacefully and slowly dozed off. As much as part of him didn’t want to think about it, Ratchet blushed at the thought, closing his eyes dreamily.

The engineer soon found himself doing exactly that.

Ratchet opened his eyes in surprise, and his blush grew worse. Axl felt his head on his chest and looked down at him in surprise. Ratchet felt ashamed for taking over his personal space, but to his shock, Axl didn’t seem to mind. Instead, the young hunter laughed and wrapped an arm around Ratchet.

Ratchet was soothed by Axl’s heartbeat almost immediately, and he smiled calmly, closing his eyes once more. He let his worries fade away, completely soothed by the warmth of the gunslinger and steady heartbeat.

Although he is nervous of admitting it, he wished this moment would last forever.

———————

It wasn’t until what seemed like forever until Ratchet awoke in his capsule. Slowly opening his eyes, he opened his capsule and rubbed his eyes before he sat up, and found himself back in his dorm. He looked around the room, wondering why he was here, and where Axl was.

 _It was only a dream,_ Ratchet realized.

The orange Reploid stepped out of his capsule and looked at the digital clock on the wall the opposite side of the room. It showed it was morning. He then looked at the machine he was still in the process of building. Ratchet decided he would continue working on that.

As Ratchet was working, however, he thought about what happened in his dream that night. First he was experiencing an odd sensation that he only felt when anything mentioning or involving Axl came up, and now he had a dream about him. He couldn’t stop thinking about how attractive and adorable Axl looked, but why? And just why did he feel this way about Axl?

Who would be able to help him understand why he was having such thoughts?


	4. This is...love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A week after Ratchet had his dream about Axl, he still finds himself unable to stop thinking about the young hunter. While trying to get his mind off of him, the engineer talks with Heat Drago about his thoughts and dreams of Axl, and learns something that may be the reason behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another long chapter, and a bit longer than the previous one. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy. I worked hard on this chapter.

About a week had passed since Ratchet had his dream. Although most of the events that happened in his dream were vague now, he could still clearly remember himself laying his head on Axl’s chest. Just that thought alone made his cheeks feel warm every time like they did even before Ratchet had his dream.

Ratchet never told anyone about his dream about Axl, as he thought they’d think he was joking, or wouldn’t be able to help him figure out why he had such a dream. He didn’t even talk to Heat Drago for the same reasons, and made excuses when the dragon Reploid would notice him blushing. Instead, he kept it to himself, and tried not to think about it in public so he wouldn’t blush and catch the attention of other Reploids.

Ratchet decided to leave his dorm and unwind in the main room in Hunter Base, hoping that he would get his mind off the dream he had a week ago.

But he still couldn’t help thinking about it.

———————

As soon as Ratchet walked into the main room, he recognized many of the same Reploids he saw in the room from the past week. He walked over to a small crate and sat on it. Ratchet’s arrival in the main room did distract his mind from his dream for at least a little bit, but as soon as he sat down, the memories of his dream came flooding back, almost like a tidal wave.

The engineer found himself blushing once more. He tried to hide his blush and repress his thoughts of Axl and his dream to the back of his mind, but it was useless. In the end, Ratchet only hoped that no one would notice him.

However, that kind of hoping soon vanished when Ratchet heard Heat Drago’s voice from the opposite side of the room.

“Hey, Ratchet!” Heat Drago greeted the engineer, in his usual hearty tone.

Ratchet turned his head to face Heat Drago, his eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, hello there, Heat Drago!” He greeted back, trying to regain his composure.

Heat Drago sat down next to Ratchet on a crate that happened to be right next to the one the engineer was currently sitting on. “How’s life been treatin’ ya?” Drago asked, his legs crossed.

“Well, everything is doing great here.” Ratchet replied, now back to his usual calm and polite exposition. “Everyone seems to be doing well, too.”

Heat Drago’s smile grew a bit wider. “Glad to hear that everything’s goin’ smoothly. I just got back from another mission and decided to drop by here to relax for a bit. What’ve you been up too?”

“I’ve been working tirelessly on new inventions since this past week.” Ratchet put his hands on his lap. “I came here for mostly the same reason you did.” He ended his sentence with a small laugh.

Heat Drago laughed as well. “Well, it’s always nice to relax every once in a while, ain’t it?”

“Yeah, it sure is.” Ratchet replied, turning his head away from Drago and looking down slightly. Just when he and the taller dragon Reploid finished talking, a mental image of Axl invaded Ratchet’s mind again, and his cheeks felt warm once more.

He was so lost in his daydream that Ratchet didn’t realize Heat Drago was watching him.

“Hey, Ratchet, you feelin’ alright?” Heat Drago asked, leaning in a bit closer towards Ratchet. “Somethin’ on yer mind?”

Ratchet’s head perked up in surprise, and he could have swore the blush on his cheeks became brighter. “O-Oh, u-uh…” He stuttered, turning his away from Heat Drago, trying to think of how to respond. “I-It’s nothing, I’m just…having those thoughts again…” Ratchet’s voice caught when he realized what he said.

Heat Drago’s expression became curious. “What kind of thoughts?” He asked.

Ratchet frowned. He wanted to change the subject, but he just couldn’t bring himself to. Instead, he realized that he had to talk to Heat Drago about his thoughts about Axl, and his dream he had the previous week. Drago may not understand him, but it was going to be the only way Ratchet could figure out why he was having such thoughts.

Ratchet took a deep breath, and looked back at Drago. “Heat Drago, can I tell you something?” He asked, a hint of nervousness in his usually polite voice. “It may sound strange, but, can you just hear me out?”

To Ratchet’s slight surprise, Heat Drago smiled. “Sure thing, Ratchet. Heck, you can tell me anythin’.”

Ratchet gave a grateful smile, before he spoke again. “Heat Drago, recently I’ve been…thinking about Axl. I don’t know why, but…I just can’t stop thinking about him. And last week, I had a dream about him.”

Heat Drago said “I’m listenin’” as Ratchet continued speaking. “Every day, I find myself thinking about Axl, and the dream I had. He’s just so…adorable, and the way he laughs, his sense of humor, his appearance…I like everything about him.” By now, Ratchet’s blush had gotten worse. What was he _saying?_ _Why_ did he say what he just said?

Heat Drago looked on, contemplating Ratchet’s speech, before he let out a laugh.

Ratchet perked his head up once more to face Heat Drago, utterly flustered. “Huh? H-Heat Drago? W-Why are you laughing?”

Heat Drago stopped laughing as Ratchet spoke. “Sounds like you’re crushin’ on the new kid.” He said in a tone that Ratchet couldn’t describe.

“W-What? I would never crush Axl, that’s awful!” Ratchet replied, not understanding Drago’s meaning.

Heat Drago laughed at the engineer’s response. “No, no, by crushing on Axl, I mean you’re in love with him!”

Ratchet was still confused. “Huh? I’m in…love with Axl? Is…is that why I keep thinking about him?”

Heat Drago wrapped an arm around Ratchet’s shoulders. “Yep, that seems to be the most likely explanation. Being in love means you like someone a whole lot, and it makes you feel like being near that person all day, every day.”

“So…is this what love feels like?” Ratchet asked, curious. “Constantly thinking about someone all the time and wanting to be close to them?”

“Well, in your case at least.” Heat Drago said, moving a bit closer to Ratchet. “Everyone feels love differently.

“I see…” Ratchet said, a hint of wonder in his voice. “But…what will I tell Axl? How will I tell him?”

“Well, I’m not the best at romantic advice,” Heat Drago replied, putting a finger up to his chin. “But my best advice would be to tell Axl how you feel.”

Ratchet seemed unsure. “But what if Axl feels repulsed by my feelings for him? What if he doesn’t love me back?”

Heat Drago thought about it for a moment. “That could be a possibility, but Axl is a very easygoing kid at heart, so I doubt he’ll do that. Sure, he may not love you back, but I’m sure he’ll take your feelings for him in stride. If you feel ready, don’t be afraid to tell him.”

Ratchet felt reassured and somewhat more confident from the dragon Reploid’s words. “I guess you’re right.” He said, smiling.

Heat Drago gave the engineer a pat on his shoulder. “Now that’s the Ratchet I know! Axl’s out a mission right now, but when he comes back, I think it’ll be the perfect opportunity to tell him how you feel, or whenever you feel like you’re ready. You’ve got this, lover boy.”

Ratchet blushed and laughed at Heat Drago calling him “lover boy”, which was rather fitting for the topic. “Thank you so much, Heat Drago.” He said to Drago, getting up from where he was sitting. Heat Drago followed suit.

“No need to thank me, Ratchet.” The dragon Reploid replied. “Anyway, I’ve got some things to sort out in the base. Don’t forget that you’ve got this, kiddo.”

Ratchet smiled back. “Thanks again, Heat Drago. See you later!” He waved as Heat Drago was leaving the room. “Same to you, Ratchet!” Drago replied. By now, he was gone.

———————

Ratchet began walking back to his dorm, intending to finish working on a new weapon he was currently in the process of putting together while waiting until Axl returns. Although he was still a little nervous of telling the young gunslinger his feelings for him, Drago's words helped him build up at least some confidence.

Even if Axl may not return Ratchet’s feelings, the engineer has every intention of telling the young hunter how he felt about him, no matter how nervous he was.


	5. Confessing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After his conversation with Heat Drago, Ratchet confesses his feelings to Axl during a peaceful afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, boy, I'm so glad I got this chapter and this fanfiction finally finished. I haven't updated this in a bit because I kind of lost motivation and had homework over the past couple of weeks, but I finally got this done. Hope you like this fic, I worked hard on it.

A few days have passed since Ratchet’s discussion about Axl with Heat Drago. To Ratchet’s surprise, it went better than he expected, to say the least. With the advice Drago gave him, the engineer decided he was going to tell Axl his feelings for him, no matter how nervous he was.

Though, Ratchet’s lingering nervousness was partially why he didn’t confess his feelings, until now.

————————

Axl was outside Hunter Base, sitting back against a large tree. It was late in the afternoon, so it wasn’t going to be long until the sun would begin to set. Axl liked relaxing outside. While he usually spent his free time in the base, Axl didn’t find any harm in doing so outside, either.

The young gunslinger was gazing at the peaceful sky when he heard a voice he instantly recognized from the distance.

“Hi, Axl!”

Axl’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing those words, making a small “Huh?” as he turned around to face the person who spoke.

It was Ratchet, the engineer he met a while back.

“Oh, hey, Ratchet!” Axl greeted, speaking loud enough for the engineer to hear him. “You came here to chill out, too?”

“Yeah, I’ve been given a day off, so I decided to stop by here.” Ratchet replied, walking over to the tree where Axl was sitting. With some hesitation, he sat down next to the gunslinger, trying his very best to not look awkward.

However, Ratchet froze in place when Axl turned to face him.

“You know, I like hanging out with you.” Axl said to Ratchet, a warm smile on his face. “You’re one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met.”

“Really? Well, uh, t-thanks!” Ratchet replied, trying not to sound flattered. As he spoke, however, he found himself blushing. The engineer tried to hide his blush, but couldn’t.

“Don’t thank me.” Axl replied reassuringly. “I just like having you around.”

Ratchet gulped quietly at Axl’s response. “I-I do, too.”

Axl laughed at Ratchet’s reply. He found it rather adorable. After Ratchet spoke, the engineer turned his head away from Axl as the young gunslinger looked back at the sky. As Ratchet was looking away, various thoughts were running through his mind.

 _I know Heat Drago told me to tell Axl about my feelings for him, but how will I tell him?_ Ratchet thought, frowning. He glanced briefly back at Axl, before turning away again. _How will Axl react? Will he hate me?_

As those thoughts swam through Ratchet’s mind like a wave, an image of Axl managed to find its way into his head. Images of Axl smiling, laughing, and boasting about how amazing of a hunter he was.

By now, Ratchet’s blush had gotten worse, his cheeks now red as a tomato. He took a few moments to regain his composure, before letting out a sigh. He turned around to look at Axl, who adjusted his position slightly, swinging one of his legs over the other.

 _I guess I’ll have to tell him, even if it means he’ll hate me._ Ratchet thought. He took a deep breath to calm himself, before speaking again.

“Axl, can I…” Ratchet paused for a few seconds, before continuing. “…tell you something?” He asked the young gunslinger.

Axl turned his attention to the engineer. “Yeah, what’s the scoop?”

Ratchet paused again briefly. “…Axl, I…” He began, his voice trailing off. His cheeks felt warm again, alarming him slightly.

“Hey, you feeling okay?” Axl asked, noticing Ratchet’s blush and alarmed look.

“O-Oh, y-yes, I’m…I’m fine…” Ratchet replied, stammering a little. “But, Axl, if I tell you what I want to tell you, can you please promise you won’t tell anyone else?”

“If you don’t want me to, then sure.” Axl replied, curious about what Ratchet wanted to say to him. “What did you wanna tell me?”

Ratchet felt warm all over his body, making a small sound of uncertainty. “Axl, I…” His voice trailed off again.

“You what?” Axl asked, mild concern in his voice, noticing the engineer’s nervous expression.

“I…I love you, Axl.” Ratchet finally said, his eyes shut tight, after several moments of not speaking. “A lot.”

Ratchet’s blush grew even redder upon realizing what he just said.

But then shame washed over him. Axl would surely hate him now. Ratchet kept his eyes shut, anticipating the worst.

However, what Axl said replaced Ratchet’s shame with utter shock.

“Hey, it’s okay.”

Ratchet opened his eyes and looked back up at Axl, who had a reassuring look on his face. The young gunslinger put a hand on the engineer’s shoulder, causing Ratchet flinch a bit from the unexpected touch. “W-What?” He asked, still in complete shock.

“If you feel that way about me, I’m alright with that.” Axl said sincerely, giving a warm and genuine smile. “I will admit, I’ve never had someone who felt like that about me.”

Ratchet didn’t know how to respond. He was at a complete loss for words, especially for what Axl had said. In the end, he replied, “D-Do you really mean that, Axl?”

“Yeah! You didn’t think I would hate you for being in love with me, did you?” Axl said matter-of-factly, removing his hand from Ratchet’s shoulder.

Ratchet blushed, not from being near Axl, but from embarrassment that Axl commented about the engineer thinking he would hate him for confessing his feelings, which he did. “O-Oh, well, I, um…Actually, I did…” Ratchet replied sheepishly, making a small nervous laugh.

Axl gave an apologetic smile. “Hey, don’t worry about it.”

Ratchet smiled gratefully, rubbing a hand behind his neck. “Axl?” He asked. “Yeah?” Axl replied curiously.

“C-Can I…hug you?” Ratchet looked away from the young gunslinger.

“Sure!” Axl said, opening his arms. “But you didn’t have to ask me first!”

Ratchet moved closer to Axl, as if on cue, and wrapped his arms around the gunslinger, with the latter doing the same. The orange Reploid buried his head into Axl’s chest, hearing the gentle beating of his heart.

“Thank you, Axl…” Ratchet said gratefully, moving his head slightly so Axl could hear him. “Thank you so much…”

Axl chuckled a little. “Don’t thank me. Like I said, I’m just glad to have you around.”

It felt like several moments until the two Reploids released from their hug. When they did, Axl laid back against the tree with a relaxed sigh, and Ratchet did the same next to his new boyfriend. A couple seconds later, though, he moved closer to him and laid his head on his chest, like he did in his dream he had about a week ago. Ratchet was slightly surprised when Axl responded by wrapping his arm around him. Ratchet closed his eyes, instantly soothed by the gunslinger’s heartbeat, and the warmth he felt being so close to Axl. The latter chuckled at seeing the engineer look so dreamy.

By now, the sun was setting, turning the sky a deep orange-red. From a certain perspective, Ratchet and Axl looked as if they were in a globe made from pure light. While Ratchet won’t admit it out loud, he would cherish this moment for as long as he lives, and deep down, he liked this better than his dream.

Ratchet knew he and Axl would have to go back to the base soon, but for now, he would relax and be lulled to sleep from the young gunslinger’s heartbeat, and he hoped this meant they would spend more time together, if he wasn’t busy, that is.

The engineer soon fell asleep from Axl’s soothing heartbeat, and he dreamt of him once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this fanfiction! This is one of the longest stories I've ever written, and I'm glad I was able to finish it. I hope I did a good characterizing Axl, I don't really write him often compared to my other fics.
> 
> Constructive criticism is welcome.


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